Shen Wei Dance Arts at the Met Museum

I went to see Shen Wei Dance Arts at the Met Museum on Monday evening, in large part because I think Shen Wei's work is usually visually stunning, if nothing else (but usually there's something else too), and also because I thought it would be interesting to see it in relation to what I have been working on. The idea of moving statues is foremost on my mind right now, seeing as a good half of 'Work : Dance : Display' moves at the sort of speed (of lack thereof) that affords the audience member a three-dimensional view of the dancer's body as moving statue. I wish it wasn't so, but I was disappointed at the piece. I envisioned a work of the utmost grandeur (not unfairly, I don't think - he has choreographed masterful pieces of art) but the end result was a little lackluster. Tickets were sold to line the balcony of the American Wing of the museum with audience members. Audience members also flanked 3 sides of the courtyard at the same level as the dancers and statues.  But the piece was very clearly choreographed with a proscenium stage in mind, and I (standing high up there in the balcony, towards the back of the 'stage') largely felt unacknowledged as a spectator, which was somewhat upsetting. Why put us there if the choreography was not meant to be seen from there?

I felt that Shen Wei could have shaped the audience experience in a much clearer and fuller way. Sure, the work itself was beautiful, and Sara Procopio is stunning as ever. However, so much more could have been done with that space. I felt the urge, the entire time, to stroll through the moving statues and the real inanimate ones, while the performance was in progress, because of the spaciousness between them, and my desire to go up close to examine the 'artifacts' in action. And I felt that the slowness at which the work unfolded really did lend itself to that sort of close(r) examination.

I did enter the performance space a.k.a the courtyard filled with sculptures after the performance was over, but all I could do then was imagine what it could have felt to have been right there in the middle of the space while the action was happening.

I think the work would have been more successful had the audience been invited to roam at will amongst the dancers. But I guess I'll have to be the one giving them that opportunity at my show. There, they WILL be roaming at will. And probably with alcoholic beverage in hand.